Calibrating toner concentration sensors using reload measurement

摘要

Devices and methods detect an amount of toner on a photoreceptor caused by a printing process, and calculate a reload signal using a processor. The reload signal shows the amount of toner being reloaded on a donor roll from a toner container to replace the toner being removed from the donor roll during the printing process (as detected by an optical sensor). Such devices and methods generate a toner concentration (TC) sensor response representing a concentration of toner particles within the toner/developer mixture using a TC sensor, calculate a calibration sensor relationship between the TC sensor response and the reload signal, using the processor, based on changes in the TC sensor response and the reload signal that occur while changing the toner concentration during the printing process, and calibrate the TC sensor based on differences between the calibration sensor relationship and a previously established model relationship using the processor.

主权项

1. A printing apparatus comprising:
a container maintaining a toner/developer mixture; a toner concentration sensor operatively connected to said container, said toner concentration sensor outputting a toner concentration sensor response representing a concentration of toner particles within said toner/developer mixture; a donor roll receiving said toner particles from said container; a photoreceptor receiving said toner particles from said donor roll; an optical sensor positioned adjacent said photoreceptor, said optical sensor detecting an amount of said toner particles on said photoreceptor; and a processor operatively connected to said toner concentration sensor and said optical sensor, said processor generating a reload signal comprising an amount of said toner particles being reloaded on said donor roll from said container to replace portions of said toner particles removed from said donor roll in a printing process, said processor calculating said reload signal based on said amount of said toner particles on said photoreceptor detected by said optical sensor, said processor calculating a calibration sensor relationship between said toner concentration sensor response and said reload signal based on changes in said toner concentration sensor response and said reload signal that occur while changing said toner concentration during said printing process, and said processor calibrating said toner concentration sensor based on differences between said calibration sensor relationship and a previously established model relationship.